Professional Identity in Transitional Contexts: A Comparative Self-Study of Two International Doctoral Students

• In Event: Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: International Collaboration in Self-Study

Abstract

Although much recent research interest has focused on understanding works of novice teacher educators, particularly the ones who transit from successful positions in their original jobs to that of academic teacher educators in the U.S., there is an inquiry line missing. That is, the professional identity is understood in the contexts in which ones have not started their careers with U.S. school experiences then transited to U.S. teacher education where they simultaneously perform multiple teacher educator-related-tasks. Employing self-study, we, two international novice teacher educators, found that we experienced a dynamic and discursive process of identity construction in which our identity was shaped and reshaped in relation to our past experiences, contemporary perceptions of work and social relationships.

Authors

• Vy Dao, Michigan State University

• Wei Liao, Michigan State University